Stichodactyla mertensii verrucae

[chizerbunoi]

I just picked up a baby mertensii that was mislabelled as a gold haddoni. Since we don't have many pictures on this forum I thought I would share to help others with future identification.

The verrucae spots go all the way down the entire column and through the entire base of the foot which it becomes striped. Hopefully it colors backup soon and takes over my anemone dominated tanks.

 

[dieselkeeper]

Nice pick up. How about a picture of the rest of nems?

 

[D-Nak]

The verrucae look right for a mertensii, but just want to make sure it's not S. helianthus.

 

[chizerbunoi]

The verrucae look right for a mertensii, but just want to make sure it's not S. helianthus.

yeah I made sure it’s not a Sun anemone S. Helianthus. On that anemone the verrucae does not travel all the way down to the foot. Also they are lined vertical in a straight line. The Mertensii jags with the extra rows.

The vendor had this anemone since April and I guess it’s really degraded. But I’m confident I can bring it back to glory.

this image is what it looked like when they first got it in. Hopefully mine will grow as big as Taylors or even Shu Tins old ones.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Nice pick up. How about a picture of the rest of nems?

thanks. How is your Mertensii doing? Must be huge as it’s almost a year old in your tank?

My tank is ugly but I’ll share an image anyways. I have 9 different types of anemones that all have hosted my fish, except Mertensii for now. And a pair of each of the six clown complexes. The hair algae on the dividers and macro algae in display is my primary form of nutrient control. I don’t have a filter to capture an actinic shot. But it’s definitely very cool with neon colours everywhere.

 

[D-Nak]

yeah I made sure it’s not a Sun anemone S. Helianthus. On that anemone the verrucae does not travel all the way down to the foot. Also they are lined vertical in a straight line. The Mertensii jags with the extra rows.

The vendor had this anemone since April and I guess it’s really degraded. But I’m confident I can bring it back to glory.

this image is what it looked like when they first got it in. Hopefully mine will grow as big as Taylors or even Shu Tins old ones.

Oh yes, that's definitely a mertensii. I'm sure you'll be able to bring it back.

 

[dieselkeeper]

thanks. How is your Mertensii doing? Must be huge as it’s almost a year old in your tank?

It's doing good, over a year and a half old now.



It's in a 90 gallon with a Mag.

 

[D-Nak]

It looks like some of the tentacles are white? It was thought that white stripes for haddoni are stress-related and I assumed the same with mertensii. Looks like this is not correct, as your mert looks very happy yet still has some white tentacles.

 

[dieselkeeper]

It's been like this since I got it a year and a half ago. Must be normal.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Do your clowns bite the long tentacles down? It was reported by other owners. Especially the ones that develop near the mouth.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Is that a green LTA or BTA behind the Mertensii in the back left corner?

 

[dieselkeeper]

Do your clowns bite the long tentacles down? It was reported by other owners. Especially the ones that develop near the mouth.

Yes, the Mag is missing some tentacles. They also attack the mouth. Like they trying to move a small rock. If you ever seen that happen.

Is that a green LTA or BTA behind the Mertensii in the back left corner?

Yes it's a LTA. Trying to add some color to the tank. It took 4 months for it to bury itself in the sand. At first it just floated around the tank. I put in the refugium where there is no flow. One day I found it buried its foot in the sand. So I moved it where you see it.

 

[dbraun15]

Awesome pickup...looks like you're going to need a bigger tank soon...escpecially with that Mertens!

 

[chizerbunoi]

Yeah I have larger empty tanks already just sitting around in storage. I am not certain about upgrading as maintenance will be more difficult. That’s why I downsized the simple setup and just let the parameters go unchecked. One 4 gal bucket a week plus daily feeding. Carbon once every couple of months. And that doesn’t even have to happen either, just nice to be connected doing stuff on the tank.

Also nice having no sump to have the kids dump stuff into. Maybe when the kids are in school and don’t need to be carried around all the time.

But like my old mixed reef I seem to be hoarding too much. Maybe a few more magnifica and I’ll call it quits. Since going to an invert setup, it’s been so much more fun than those fuzzy sticks.

 

[Lenett]

Hi guys! why cant I see my thread on computer, but can on phone?

 

[chizerbunoi]

Just click on your avatar username and then choose see all threads.

might as well update this thread with some pictures.

 

[Lenett]

Just click on your avatar username and then choose see all threads.

might as well update this thread with some pictures.

Beautiful!

 

[Taylor t]

It’s a good thing you don’t live close to me...
We’d both be in AA
My buddy Pete years ago got me in lots of trouble...

Love the nems you’ve got!

 

[chizerbunoi]

Haha sorry to say that I stalked all @Taylor t posts here and RC. Learned so much from you. That’s why I call you the Gig Father. Lol, I think I would have been your crazy buyer when you were thinking of getting out several years ago. Glad you did not though.

My tank look very different now than before since we had another kid. No time for maintenance like before.

Pic from this morning after lights on. Sebae still unhappy after the Haddoni incident. They are not compatible with each other.

 

[mandarin417]

Do Merten nems prefer burying in the sand or on top of rocks?